Kate McFalls

Richard S. Levick, Esq.

Chairman & CEO

Television news contributor on crisis and public affairs communications; columnist for multiple publications; book author; pioneer of litigation communications; globally recognized crisis communications keynote speaker; professor at the Fordham and Wake Forest Schools of Law.

Under his leadership, LEVICK has set new standards in global communications and brand protection for corporations, countries, and major institutions. Mr. Levick is one of the communications industry’s most important spokespersons and thought leaders.

A powerful advocate for the strategic initiatives that companies must pursue in today’s perilous environment, he regularly addresses corporate boards as well as industry and government leaders around the world, providing guidance on their most complex communications and reputation management challenges. He is featured in, and authors, countless articles, and is a frequent guest on prime time national and international television programs.

Mr. Levick is a much-sought after keynote and graduation speaker and is a columnist for the top business publications. He hosts multiple regular podcasts in partnership with major magazines including the Corporate Counsel Business Journal, In-House Community (Asian-MENA Counsel), and American Heritage magazine.

Mr. Levick has co-authored five books including, The Communicators: Leadership in the Age of Crisis; Stop the Presses; The Crisis and Litigation PR Desk Reference; 365 Marketing Meditations; and Lessons for Absent Children.

Experience:

On a daily basis, Mr. Levick’s prestigious team of professionals spearheads many of the world’s highest-profile campaigns – including Guantanamo Bay; the Catholic Church; the Wall Street crisis; the Gulf oil spill, and some of the most important public affairs matters globally.

Mr. Levick sits on a variety of boards including the World Economic Forum’s Partnering Against Corruption Initiative (PACI), and, through a Joint Business Relationship, he is an integral part of PricewaterhouseCoopers Anti-corruption Center for Excellence. He is also a former board member of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling.

He is the past Director of American University’s School of Public Affairs Leadership Program, and a former professor of crisis communications in the graduate school at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. He lectures regularly at Harvard, Stanford and Georgetown Law Schools, the Army War College and West Point.

Education:

Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies – University of Maryland

Master’s of Science in Environmental Advocacy (Communications) – University of Michigan

John Lovallo is a trusted advisor and counselor to C-Suite executives and Boards of Directors, with a proven ability to analyze, simplify, and provide communications solutions to complex corporate, financial, regulatory and business issues. Mr. Lovallo has works with a broad spectrum of private and public companies, from emerging to the Fortune 100, and brings capital markets experience to his engagements.

Mr. Lovallo uses research-based insights to develop leading strategies to help clients build, manage and protect their corporate reputation. He has advised senior executive teams across a wide range of industries including financial services, health care, industrial, insurance, professional services, real estate, technology, telecommunications, and utilities.

Mr. Lovallo works directly with institutional investors, national/trade reporters, key influencers and third parties to generate support for corporate initiatives or counter crisis matters to positively impact business outcomes, protect corporate brands and maximize valuation.

At LEVICK, Mr. Lovallo has worked closely with companies dealing with inquiries, investigations and actions from state and federal regulators including state Attorneys General, the Consumer Financial Protection Board, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the Office of The Controller of the Currency, the Federal Communication Commission, State Regulatory Agencies, and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Previously, Mr. Lovallo held senior management positions at leading global communications firms, where he worked with companies to define, build, and protect their reputations to drive business, engage employees and third parties, strengthen brand loyalty, and increase shareholder value.

Steve Kalan

Senior Vice President, Business Development

Boards of Directors, corporate governance, associations.

Steve Kalan has been a consultant and trusted advisor as a business development professional focused on sensitive and strategic boardroom issues for 18 years. He has worked with public, private, and nonprofit organizations, and scores of global professional services firms that support board and C-suite needs.

Throughout his career, Steve has translated his clients’ needs related to risk oversight, strategic communications, board assessment and improvement, cyber strategy and more into tailored solutions for board development activities across many industries. At LEVICK his straightforward approach to a needs analysis discussion helps him quickly draw conclusions with his clients regarding their needs and LEVICK’s resources.

Experience:

Prior to LEVICK, Steve built and managed the board services business development team at the National Association of Corporate Directors. He worked closely with the member companies, developing customized solutions across numerous industries like healthcare, energy and utilities, technology, financial services, retail, manufacturing, defense and more.

In his early days at NACD, Steve developed customized communications plans for global professional services firms based on their marketplace objectives. Two programs he started remain in place for the benefit of thousands of NACD members: the online, short video series BoardVision, which often featured him interviewing his clients on important boardroom matters; and annual publication of white papers on important boardroom topics based on peer exchange luncheons as moderated by Steve Kalan and others at NACD.

His work with board chairs, CEOs, Generals Counsel, and other company leaders has resulted in a large group of business leaders who trust in his pragmatic approach to their sometimes urgent but always important business needs.

Derede McAlpin

Senior Vice President, Head of Litigation

Derede serves as head of the litigation communications practice at LEVICK. With more than 20 years of media and communications experience, she represents clients facing high profile crisis and litigation issues, including regulatory matters, cyber incidents, class actions, corporate scandals, and sexual misconduct allegations, among others.

Experience:

Prior to joining LEVICK, Derede served as vice president & chief communications officer for the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC), a global legal association representing more than 45,000 corporate lawyers in more than 10,000 organizations around the world.

Her additional experience includes positions with Howard University, Superior Court for the District of Columbia, 6ABC News (Philadelphia), and a clinical at the City of Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office.

An oft-quoted authority on complex communications, legal and business issues, Derede is frequently sought after by organizations to speak on challenging issues confronting corporations and has contributed commentary on global business and crisis issues for such media outlets as NBC Nightly News; Thomson Reuters; the Washington Post’s NFL blog, The League; Locker Room Magazine; Canadian Broadcast Network; Canadian Lawyer InHouse and American Lawyer Media publications, among others.

Ian Lipner is an award-winning communicator known for instilling trust in innovation. Counted upon for practice innovation and pragmatic futurism, he counsels both global leaders and new disruptors through periods of rapid change. Ian brings senior leadership experience to client and agency teams, helping enunciate differentiation and demonstrate authenticity.

Mr. Lipner’s career spans more than twenty years of communications roles, driving strategic media programs and creating digital platforms for member-driven associations, industry trade groups and global corporations. The thought leadership platforms his teams develop have propelled brands and their leaders from niche players to cable news regulars, and his spokesperson preparation work has readied dozens of C-level executives for success in high stakes communications.

Experience:

Before joining LEVICK, Mr. Lipner founded and led the Washington, DC office for a global communications agency. Over a thirteen-year tenure, he was instrumental in pioneering the firm’s first social media management services, developing and deploying industry-first global measurement methodologies and launching the agency’s dedicated global research function. He also acted as agency lead for dozens of global communications campaigns, helming teams for many of the agency’s top clients in Internet infrastructure, data management, AI and cybersecurity.

Earlier in his career, Mr. Lipner led technology accounts for a highly regarded Mid-Atlantic agency and prior, served as head of public relations and spokesperson for the nation’s first veteran’s group. Mr. Lipner earned a Psychology degree from University of Illinois.

Lisa Santopietro

Senior Vice President, Accounting & Operations

Lisa Santopietro is a leader who blends technical acumen with practical business sense. As Senior Vice President of Accounting & Operations for LEVICK, Ms. Santopietro manages the accounting, human resources and administrative teams with steadfastness to maintain the company’s finances and foster good corporate culture. She is responsible for establishing policies, procedures, controls and reporting systems for most areas of the firm.

Experience:

With thirty plus years of accounting experience in the telecommunications and public relations industries, Ms. Santopietro brings a unique entrepreneurial approach to corporate accounting and management. For over ten years, she has supported the practice groups and executive leadership of LEVICK with creative solutions and systems.

Bryant Madden

Vice President

Bryant Madden is a seasoned media relations and strategic communications professional. His work, often as a strategist, project manager, and content creator, has touched numerous issue areas, most notably international relations, technology, health care, law, and finance. He has particular experience handling crisis scenarios – from high-stakes litigation to large-scale data breaches – that have global implications.

Experience:

Mr. Madden has achieved positive news mentions of his clients in prestigious outlets such as The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. Since joining LEVICK, Mr. Madden has excelled at executing a variety of high-stakes communications campaigns geared toward issue advocacy, corporate social responsibility, brand rehabilitation, and litigation support.

Prior to joining LEVICK, Mr. Madden worked in politics in his home state of Connecticut where he managed campaigns and served in the State Capitol. He holds a degree in Political Science from Providence College.

Maxwell Marcucci

Director

Maxwell Marcucci is a senior communications and marketing strategist who partners with CEOs, executives, boards, and entrepreneurs to tackle their communication challenges and achieve strong results.

Mr. Marcucci has advised Fortune 200 companies, international trade associations, early- and late-stage start-ups, as well as nonprofits, special interest groups, and major league sports franchises. His experience spans international trade, energy and environment, transportation, hospitality, as well as crisis planning, brand building, and creative activations.

He has a track record of high-profile placements for clients in top-tier outlets including CBS Evening News, The Washington Post, The New York Times, CNN, FOX, NPR, Reuters, and AP.

Mr. Marcucci has been named the Top PR Professional Under 40 by the Bulldog Awards, and his work has been recognized by the American Advertising Federation.

Experience:

Prior to joining LEVICK, Mr. Marcucci was instrumental in building the strategic communications and public relations practice within a well-known DC creative agency. There, he led some of the agency’s most high-profile and sensitive accounts, while building and managing cross-functional teams. He took an active role in the agency’s growth strategy, spearheading their expansion efforts into new markets and serving as an advisor to agency leadership.

Shahaley Carr

Account Supervisor

Shahaley Carr is a public relations and marketing professional with over five years of digital strategy, communications, government affairs, and event management experience.

She comes to LEVICK after spending three years managing government affairs and communications at the Department of Energy’s Advanced Manufacturing Office. From working on Capitol Hill to transferring to the executive branch, Shahaley has extensive experience coordinating legislative efforts with the media and key stakeholders on state, local, and federal levels through traditional and digital strategies.

Cate Cronin

Account Supervisor

Cate Cronin is a communications and earned media strategist whose wide-ranging experience spans multiple issue areas and industries, including technology and health care. At LEVICK, she provides strategic guidance and executes communications campaigns on behalf of multiple clients, including thought leadership activities, media outreach, and digital content creation. She has extensive experience with advising companies and management teams on various corporate matters, including high-profile leadership transitions, crisis planning and response, and other corporate reputation matters, and serves as a project manager across many of her teams.

Adam Curtis

Account Executive

Adam Curtis has both in-house and agency communications experience, touching a variety of areas, including sports and entertainment, healthcare, and cybersecurity. He helps clients with a plethora of services, including content creation, media monitoring, and media outreach, and has landed media placements in, among other notable publications, Houston Chronicle, The Hill, and Pitchfork. He has worked on large integrated marketing campaigns, but has also, on a smaller level, assisted clients on a day-to-day basis with digital communications, issue advocacy, and reputation management. He holds a degree in Public Relations & Strategic Communication from American University.

Maggy McCarthy

Account Executive

With a background in journalism and documentary film production, Maggy McCarthy specializes in content creation, media relations, and media monitoring in a variety of areas, including finance, health technology, food and beverage, petroleum industry, and public affairs.

Maria Stagliano

Account Coordinator

Maria Stagliano is a public relations professional whose work ranges from high-profile crises to creative message development for various clientele. She has experience working on crisis communications strategy for cybersecurity breaches, reputation management, food safety, school safety, environmental advocacy, racial issues and public health concerns.